Aerial tramway



(No Model.) 2 SheetsQSheet 1.

n E. PRUNETTI 8: G. AVIGNONE.

AERIAL TRAMWAY.

Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2. E. PRUNETTI & G.AVIGNONE.

AERIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 468,208. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

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1? 1 ATTORNEYS THE noams FLTERS cm, wommmu, mskmmou, B7 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILIO PRUNETTI AND GIAMBATTISTA AVIGNONE, OF SIERRA CITY, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL TRAMWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,208, dated February2, 1892. Application filed April 18, 1891- Serial No. 389,401. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that WQEMILIO PRUNETTI and GIAMBATTISTA AVIGNONE, of SierraCity, in the county of Sierra and State of California, have invented anew and Improved Aerial Tramway, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to an improvement in suspension-tramways whichoperate by gravity to transport loads of materials in receptacles froman elevated position to a lower plane, and has for its object to providea simple and inexpensive means for the speedy and safe transportation.of material or passengers from an elevated point difiicult of access toa lower station.

With this end in view our invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claim.

In some sections of the county, where mining for minerals is conductedon the sides or tops of rugged and nearly inaccessible mountains, and itis necessary, in order to reduce the ore and abstract the metaltherefrom, that the material as mined be transferred to a lower plane,the device which is the subject of the present invention is of greatconvenience, as it affords a safe, cheap, practical, andreadily-constructed aerial transit for such material.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a portionof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in position for use totransfer material from an elevated position to a lower plane. Fig. 2 isan enlarged side View of the brake mechanism and cable-stretching deviceat one station; and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of parts shown inFig. 2, taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. p

A represents an elevation on which at a proper point the substantialtimber frame A is erected. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this frameconsists of two uprights a, between which two transverse parallel beamsa a are secured a suitable distance apart, having their ends engagedwith the sides of the uprights.

Centrally between the horizontal pieces a a and uprights a the groovedwheel B is located, said wheel being supported to rotate horizontally bythe upright shaft B, on which it is mounted and secured, there beingboxes I) provided, that are affixed to the cross-beams a a for receptionof journaled ends of said shaft. At a point lower down, which may be alevel plain at the foot of the precipitous elevation 011 which the frameA is located, and a considerable distance therefrom, aframe and groovedpulley-wheel are erected, which parts are duplicates of the frame A andgrooved wheel B.

The wire rope C is extended as a continuous belt upon the pulley-wheelsB B and between the same, thus affording two parallel lines that move inopposite directions simultaneously when draft strain is applied toeither.

At the rear of the frames A strong posts 1) E are erected in pairs, andhorizontal drums E are revolubly secured between each pair of posts,said drums having an ordinary ratchet-and-pawldevice secured thereto, asat cl on post E in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby affording a Windlass mechanismby means of which two independent cables F G may be supported andstretched taut. Said cables, having their ends secured to and wrappedaround the windlassdrums, as shown, are thus maintained a suitabledistance away from the endless cable C on each side of the same parallelthereto and in the same inclined plane.

A brake-lever e is provided for each wheel 13 and is pivoted to vibrateon one post a of each supporting-frame, said levers each having an innerend pivotally connected with an adjacent end of a friction-strap e, thathas its other end hinged to the opposite framepost a, (see Fig. 3,)whereby an efficient frictional contact may be eifected between thestraps and a plane portion of each grooved pulley B when the outer endsof the levers c are manipulated to secure such a result.

The cars H I are made of any proper form to receive material and hold itsecurely. These are slungby tackle-ropes g to the bracket-supportedtraveler-wheels which" rest with their grooved peripheries on the cablesF G, whereon they are designed to move.

In arranging the device for use a car H is located at the lower stationand is flexibly connected, as at h, to the adjacent strand of chain orWire rope h to the opposite strand of the cable 0. It will be seen thatwhenthe 1 "uprightfram es, two horizontally-located revoupper car I isloaded and released from its fastening, which has been provided toretain it at the upper terminus of theca-ble on which it is supported,its gravity will cause it to descend the inclined Wire or rope tramway Gand by its connection with the endless cable 0 communicate m-ovementthereto. scent of the loaded car I will cause the at tached car Hto bedrawn up the ascending grade on the rope-tramway F, the speed of themoving cars'being regulated by thebrak'e levers e, previouslymentioned.If desirable The de and the strength of the tramway-ropes is sufficient;more than one: setof cars may be placed on the track-lines F G and besimultaneously moved by gravity, their control being eifected throughthe endless cable 0, as has been explained. the endless cable 0,and'the' other-car I, being" placed at the upper station, is attached bya- Having'thus fully described our invention, We claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent The combination, with an endless cable, two

luble grooved pulleys mounted on the frames,

and brake mechanism therefor, of two wirerope tramways,Windlass-supports therefor,

and twoca'rs mounted on the tramways and substantially as-setforth;

ElVIILIO PRUNETTI: V p 7 G'IAMBATTIST-A': AVIGNONE. VV-itnessesi STANLEYA. SMITH, T. L; FORD.

